Volumes have been written, debates conducted and I suspect duels fought over what it takes to make truly great espresso. There are thousands of authoritive sites online, and with that in mind, I'm not going to devote much space to the topic. 

Depending on your level of espresso fanatacism, you can find gear that ranges from the sub-$100 machines carried by mass merchandisers to semi-automatic, super automatic and full-blown multi-group professional machines costing tens of thousands of dollars.

Clearly, there are systems for almost every budget, but you're not likely to find a low cost machine that will produce a quality beverage. Be prepared to spend upward of $500 for an entry level machine that will, with some practice on your part, make a tasty espresso.

For more espresso and general coffee information that can be absorbed in one lifetime, I suggest you pour yourself a big mug of Windward coffee, settle back into a comfy chair and check out coffeegeek.com and home-barista.com.